Behind the Statistics 2018-19: Introduction and Key Points

This report provides a presentation and analysis of the government's homelessness statistics, with a view to giving the reader a better understanding of the homelessness system in Scotland, and how we measure homelessness in Scotland.

Unless referenced otherwise, statistics in this paper have been drawn directly from the Scottish government's 2018-19 homelessness statistics.

Using these statistics, this report considers what the available statistics can tell us about the challenges facing homelessness policy, and gives recommendations as to how current political will for tackling homelessness can best be targeted to produce material, long-term improvements for those facing homelessness across the country.